


Bloodbond

by Rahar_Moonfire



Category: Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle, Twilight Series - All Media Types
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, F/M, M/M, Mages, Shapeshifting, Vampire Hunters, Vampires, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-12-25
Updated: 2016-07-21
Packaged: 2017-11-22 09:02:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/608102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rahar_Moonfire/pseuds/Rahar_Moonfire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When the hunters become the hunted three vampires attempt to travel to Terra in hopes of finding asylum. But when a mistake takes them to Earth where vampires are not like them, they must survive until they can find a way to leave, or die.  Such is the life of vampires with heartbeats, flowing blood, and running from the murderous humans of their world and the hunters dead set on tracking them down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

"We won't make it."

"We have to try."

"And if we succeed, and that's a very big _if_ , what then? Where will we go? How will we communicate? How will we survive? We don't even know if our kind even exist in another word."

"True, but we do know that if we stay here any longer, we'll die."

Silence.

"Kamui, you are my sire and I will follow you as the leader and guide you are. But as your childe, I have the right to express my opinions. In this case, I think you're taking a serious gamble. I can't afford to lose you. I need you. I'm still learning the ways of this world. If I don't find a lodestone soon, I _will_ die and all your efforts will be wasted."

"He's right, brother. We need him. He's the last of the Magebloods. If he dies than our loss is guaranteed. Our people have already fled to Terra. I've received word that they are ready to receive us if we go, but if we do go than we will be unable to defend ourselves for at least a day or so to regain our strength from a trek like that. I'm only saying we should be careful."

The violet eyed youth stared at his twin in silence as he thought. He would give anything to protect his brother, and his duty as his companion's sire demanded he do the same. He knew the risks. Heavens above, did he know them. He had heard the horror stories of previous groups daring the dangerous path from this hellhole of a place to the whispered sanctuary of Terra.

Some were never heard from again. Some reappeared years later babbling about the mirror world of Terra they called Earth. Others…did reappear. Well, what little there was left of them. He shuddered at that particular memory…

Just as a large explosion echoed close-by.

"I didn't think they were so close," the green-eyed twin murmured in shock.

"Run!" Kamui hollered and the others followed as fast as their vampiric feet could take them. They didn't dare change shape in this uncertain territory with the blasts and gunfire echoing behind them.

"Bloodthirsty humans! And they dare to call us mass-murderers," the blonde childe muttered under his breath.

If they could just find a clearing large enough for them to conduct the necessary ritual, then they just might be able to escape. But their hopes dropped even further at the sound of baying.

"Sire, they have Gabriel Hounds!"

Kamui let out a particularly colorful curse that made even his brother blush and they put all they had into their feet.

"There!" the green-eyed twin hollered, pointing to a small clearing by a creek.

Not considering the consequences, the three vampires turned and made for the clearing. Once they stood on the small circle of grass, the three took one another's hands and focused on the small ripple the defined the separation between worlds. If they could find it, and fold it so the bulge weakened the fabric of the universe just enough for them to pass through, they'd make it. But they were on a time constraint and they were already tired. Not a good combination.

A howl sounded from only few meters away and their concentration was broken.

"Gabriel Hound!"

A soft melodic whistle sounded for a brief instant and sphere of swirling golden spirals encircled the group. Subaru turned to the mage to thank him then paled. The blonde was currently struggled to hold back the hungry jaws of a Gabriel Hound that had made it through before his shield could be raised. His bloody fingers were clamped on the hound's lower jaw hoping to keep it just out of reach of his throat.

"Fai!"

At his brother's cry, Kamui joined his twin in forcing the monster off his childe. The Hound growled and brought his jaws down hard on Fai's right arm just as a stray paw flashed forward and caught him on the left side of his face. Fai screamed until Subaru managed to jam his sharp nails into the creature's spinal cord, effectively killing it.

The razor sharp teeth relaxed their grip and together with Kamui, the twins wrestled the body off Fai and assessed the damage. Fai's arm was broken and currently useless until it healed and the same went for his eye. The beautiful blue eye was now a mess of blood and goo that made even Kamui's hardened nerves shiver.

"I'm sorry Fai, but we have to do this now before your shield fails on us," he murmured.

Fai shuddered and moaned in agony but nodded vaguely in understanding. The mage knew his limits where his magic was concerned.

Carefully, the three hoisted Fai back to his feet, mindful of his wounds, and tried to focus once more. Together they managed to fold the ripple just enough that they could go through if they went now.

On queue, they engaged their respective powers, those innate to their vampiric origins and those born into Fai's blood and they began to dissipate and merge with the Void of Time.

"Fai!"

That voice would always be Fai's downfall. His concentration wavered as he spun to glimpse the owner of that voice.

Then the threesome were nothing but a thought as they traversed the silent Void of Time.

Then sound pummeled their ears and drops of water stung their skin. Fai shrieked as he fell hard on his already wounded arm and Subaru struggled over to the childe to help him leaving Kamui to take note of their surroundings. The cold claw of fear gripped his heart at the sight.

They were surrounded by a grass field much bigger than the one they just left. Trees like none he'd ever seen before encircled the clearing and rain poured nonstop from gray clouds above. He stretched out his senses and felt no vampire for miles around.

This was not Terra.

It couldn't be…

This couldn't be…

He shuddered.

…Earth…?


	2. Chapter 1

"Kamui! Kamui!"

Fighting down his growing panic, Kamui gathered himself and staggered back to his brother who was currently cradling his childe.

"Kamui, he going into shock. He needs to drink," Subaru explained, his eyes belaying the fear his words just barely managed to hide.

"On it." The young pureblood quickly pushed back his sleeve and slit his wrist pressing the dripping wound to Fai's mouth. The wounded vampire coughed as the warm, red liquid slipped down his throat. "I can't hear anyone, Subaru. I can't reach far enough. I need your help."

Subaru nodded. "I'm here," he whispered.

Sighing in relief, Kamui placed his free hand in his brother's and reached out once more, this time drawing from his personal reserves as well as Subaru's. His mental finger sought and stretched, searching for a vampire. Just one. Nothing.

He could feel the rain as his hit his skin and soaked through his clothes. His head ached as he continue to push further outward in his desperate search for life. They could not be the only ones.

He was just about to give up completely when he felt the faintest response. Desperate, he grabbed the tiny tendril of thought with all his might and yanked, hard.

_:!?:_

_:Please…help us! Please…pl-:_

His concentration slipped and he was forced to release the only strand of hope and return to the current reality. His head pounded painfully as he opened his eyes. It took him a few seconds to realize he was hunched over with his forehead resting on Subaru's shoulder and Fai held close to his brother's chest beneath his face. He must have fainted from the strain of reaching so far. Even the rain had slowed to a mere sprinkle.

"Sorry," he whispered weakly. "I must've-"

"Easy, brother. Easy," came the equally quiet reply. A hand reached up and held Kamui's head against Subaru's shoulder when he tried to lean back. "Relax. Rest. We'll move to a more comfortable location when you can stand."

Consciously relaxing each muscle, Kamui hummed in response. He closed his eyes and released his pent up breath, finally taking stock of their situation. They had escaped the Gabriel Hounds, true, but not unscathed. Fai was wounded, badly. And even as a vampire, it would take time for him to heal completely. Not to mention the wounds the young mageblood bore that weren't visible.

Subaru was exhausted and left to take care of the ailing Fai and Kamui's own exhausted self. It was times like these that he was reminded how much he loved his brother and how much he truly couldn't stand life without him.

He must've fallen asleep again because when he woke, Subaru was nowhere in sight and he was laying on the damp grass. Panic raced through his veins and he sat up, his eyes immediately seeking out his missing brother. A hand placed itself on his shoulder and he whirled around, tackling the unknown newcomer to the ground only to recognize the twin emerald eyes and back off, apologizing profusely.

"It's alright, Kamui. Hush, it's alright. Hush, I'm sorry I left you. I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Subaru chanted.

Once the two purebloods were settled under the relative shade of a large tree, Subaru pulled the now resting Fai into his lap leaned back into Kamui's embrace. They lay there as the rain-laden clouds moved on allowing the smaller, more innocent puffies move in.

"I was able to find someone, but I couldn't hold the connection for long," he said.

"And you'd like to try again?"

The elder of the twins squeezed Subaru in an affirmative reply. "If you can spare the strength."

"I can."

A beat of silence passed for Kamui to gather up with strength and draw upon Subaru's in preparation to reach out once more.

When he finally did, he stretched in the direction of the unknown mind he'd sensed earlier, and after a few false starts, found it again.

_:?:_

_:Please, if you can hear me, help us.:_  he called.

 _:Who is this?:_  came the shaking reply, as if from someone unused to speaking mind-to-mind.

_:My name is Kamui. Please, I beg of you, help us!:_

_:How many of you are there?:_

_:Three including myself. Please, it hurts to hold this connection. You're too far. I'll send you an image of our surroundings and hopefully you'll be able to find us from that.:_

For a moment, there was nothing, then,  _:Very well.:_

Relief flooded Kamui as he relayed an image of the clearing his group currently inhabited and released the mental hold once more.

Free of the strain, he opened his eyes. "They're coming, Subaru. They're coming for us. Subaru? Subaru?"

Violet eyes darted downward to see a dark head cradled at the base of Kamui's neck with an ill blonde curled in his lap. Smiling, Kamui closed his eyes, took a deep breath and relaxed for the first time in ages. Perhaps they had made it to Terra, just not in the place they'd intended. There were vampires here, that was certain. So maybe they were safe after all.

Soon they could relax in the safety and comfort of their own with no humans at every corner waiting to slaughter them in their beds.

Peace.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** Wow, I completely forgot about this fic. My bad. I found it and its nezt chapter. Hopefully, I'll udate a little faster next time. ^^;

Kamui awoke to the sound of birds taking flight into the evening sky, screaming in objection to their disturbance. Immediately, he was alert and aware of his surroundings. Subaru stirred and he could feel his brother reaching out with his senses as well. While Kamui had mastery of telepathy, Subaru's empathy and psychometry were also very useful. Together, they were a force to be reckoned with. But even with a mageblood in their little coven, they had their limits.

Such as now. Although they could hear the leaves moving and being stepped on as if my by many swift feet, they could hear no heart beats. With the birds gone, there was a strange silence in the surrounding forest. It was a very eerie feeling knowing someone or in this case many someones were out there but sensing no one.

_:Subaru, do you sense them?:_

_:No. Nothing. There's just a blank nothing.:_

_:There are at least five of them. How they got so close without us hearing them is beyond me. They must have a mageblood hiding their heartbeats.:_

_:A powerful coven then.:_

_:And hopefully friendly.:_

Kamui stood from their huddle, sweeping his cloak out so that it covered his brother and most of his still injured childe. He was the Alpha of his coven. Small and makeshift thought it was, it was still his coven. Reaching out carefully, he felt for the mind he had made contact with earlier, finding it just to his right.

 _:You hide yourselves well,:_ he sent by way of welcome, looking over to where he could feel the mind to be approximately. There was a flicker of movement and then he could see a tall man with chestnut hair falling just past his shoulders standing just at the edge of the woods. A young blonde girl stood close by back behind a nearby tree as a bodyguard of sorts.

Both of the newcomers' appearances were pale and they both had red eyes, but there the similarities ceased. The girl had thin arching eyebrows and a stern appearance as if she was waiting for an attack. Her eyes focused on anything near the man assessed it, cataloged it, and remembered it. The man, on the other hand, was much less visibly stern. A smile tugged at his lips and while his eyes also took note of everything, he appeared much more laid back. His face was handsome but he kept rubbing his hands together gently as if holding back the urge to touch everything in sight.

"You'll forgive me if I don't speak mind-to-mind. My talents lie elsewhere, you understand," the man said, his voice flowing over every word like chocolate. Now that was a fitting description of the man. Smooth, enticing, and addictive.

"Of course. We all have our talents, cousin. "

"Cousin? I did not realize we were related."

"Forgive me. That is how my fellows address friends. Should I use another word more to your preferences?"

The newcomer smiled. It reminded Kamui distinctly of a cat holding a canary. So he met he smile with one of his own. A tiny twitch of the lips.

"Aro, will do," the vampire said, calmly walking away from the tree line and folding his hands before him. The girl twitched as if she wasn't pleased with her leader -was this man her coven's Alpha?- leaving her immediate vicinity. "You have impressive telepathic powers. I assume the rest of your party have similar abilities?"

"I hardly see how that's any of your business, Aro. Although I would ask, you hide your heartbeats well. I assume you have a mageblood in your coven. Does that mean the Hounds infest this place as well?"

The man quirked his head to the side, almost birdlike, and his smile widened. "Yes, I was aware of your heartbeats. You also seem to be aware, unless I'm very much mistaken, of what we are if you refer to us as a coven."

_:Kamui, he doesn't feel right.:_

Kamui hesitated, refusing to look down to where his twin hid. _:Subaru…?:_

Kamui was, in fact, very aware of the wrongness that radiated from Aro. It was a cold feeling, similar to what a dead body felt like. But he smelled like anything but a dead body. On the contrary, he smelled sweet, almost too sweet. He had to fight not to crinkle his nose against the powerful smell.

"I am indeed. You are vampires, are you not?" Kamui asked, allowing his eyes to fade to gold in a show of trust.

The man paused, his smile widening. "Curious. You use words I am unfamiliar with, speak as if you are one of us, and yet you have a heartbeat and can do things normal humans cannot."

"I am a vampire."

"Indeed. So you say. And yet, you'll forgive me if I doubt your word. I-"

_:I am a vampire.:_

Aro sighed. "Again, you speak with your mind. Such a fascinating ability. Can you only speak mind-to-mind, or can you read thoughts as well?"

"Why do you ask?"

 _:Kamui.:_ came Subaru's mental voice once more. This time, the warning in it was more immediate.

"My own curiosity. May I?" Aro stretched out his hand and waited, a friendly smile on his face. Kamui was beginning to dislike this man's smiles. There were too many, all untrustworthy. However, it would be very rude to refuse a fellow Alpha's offer unless it was outside the limits of common sense. Shaking hands seemed a simple enough request. But he refused to leave his small coven unguarded.

_:Kamui.:_

"You'll understand if I don't move forward any further," Kamui said.

"Of course," and then Aro was only two arm lengths away, hand stretched out halving the distance between the two vampires.

_:Kamui.:_

Carefully, ever cautious, Kamui reached out as well, his golden eyes never leaving Aro's crimson. Closer. Closer. And their hands clasped together and Kamui wasn't sure whether he wanted to laugh or cry.

There was no heartbeat pulsing in Aro’s veins, no living warmth emanating from his skin. He was dead in almost every meaning of the word except for the fact that he was animated. But he was not rotting so he could not have been a zombie. And Kamui could sense his thoughts so he was a vampire or had been a vampire at some point. Was this ‘Aro’ a puppet reanimated by some necromancer?

Necromancy had long since been forbidden. It has a devilish practice that enslaved both the soul of the necromancer as well as those he or she reanimated. It disgusted and horrified Kamui. That this thing was allowed to exist was a travesty and a terrible distortion of life. Worse, the entire time these thoughts raced through his head, he was aware that Aro could hear it all as well as so much more.

He yanked his hand away from the undead creature and extended his nails defensively. He could feel Subaru nudge his mind, informing him Fai was awake and, while nowhere near full strength, was ready to do his part. Only Subaru was aware of what Kamui now knew but both he and Fai were ready to fight.

“Most intriguing,” Aro said, watching Kamui in fascination. He did not step back although the young blonde girl by the treeline did step forward, fury gleaming in her blood red eyes. Ignoring her, he purred, “You are vampires, but unlike any I have ever heard of before.”

He lowered his eyes to Kamui’s cape where Subaru and Fai still hid. “Will your companions come out and join me or not? I’m sure Subaru at least would be curious.”

Kamui hissed, halted from outright attacking Aro by a calm yet firm hand on his shoulder. He did not have to look back to know Subaru was standing out in the open with Fai next to him.

“I am curious,” Subaru said. “And if you do not step away from my brother you will find out just how curious I can be,” he continued, allowing his golden eyes to narrow viciously. “I’ve never dissected an undead before.”

“Undead?” Aro asked innocently. “I can assure you, I am not undead. I am, however, most interested to know how being such as you can exist. I understand, you are from another world.”

“That’s none of your business, you disgusting creature,” Kamui hissed.

“Ah, such fire,” Aro said fondly. “I have no desire to fight you. On the contrary, I wish to offer you a place here. You’ll be protected and treated as one of ours, of course. You’ll have no need to fear the humans like you did in the world you come from. I wish to learn from you, to learn about you.”

His crimson eyes gleamed sickly with excitement as he said, “Do you not see what singularly unique people you are? There is so much we can learn from each other.” He extended his hand with a hungry smile. “Come. Come with me.”

 _:Don’t brother,:_ Subaru warned.

 _:He reminds me of Seishiro,:_ Fai said suddenly. He quickly glanced at Subaru apologetically, wincing minutely when he noticed the subtle downturn of his Beta’s lips. _:You cannot trust him.:_

 _:I know,:_ Kamui replied, eyeing Aro’s extended hand mistrustfully. _:He knows everything about me.:_

 _:What?:_ Fai gasped, his one good eye widening in shock. _:How?:_

 _:Apparently, his ‘talents’ include reading every single thought I’ve ever had,:_ Kamui said, easing his stance as if considering Aro’s offer. _:Fai, how far can you teleport us?:_

 _:Far, but teleporting without knowing a destination or what the destination looks like is often deadly,:_ Fai said seriously.

 _:This world should be a mirror of Terra,:_ Subaru offered. _:Try the location of our settlement used to be. Those mountains should offer us some measure of protection.:_

Fai grimaced at the amount of power required to do that in his current state. It was doable, but it would not be painless. _:Remain in contact with me,: he said._

Subaru gently pulled Fai closer to him with his free hand and tightened his grip on Kamui’s shoulder with his other. He offered a blanket of mental calm to Fai who began writing sigils with his uninjured hand. Magic of this kind was hardly subtle but thankfully both Subaru and Kamui still wore their semi-formal attire. The long, billowing capes would offer some secrecy to Fai’s spellcasting but not much.

“We’ve considered your offer,” Kamui said aloud to Aro, “and I’m afraid we must refuse.”

Aro’s smile became sad. “I was afraid you might said that.” He waved the young blonde girl closer. A small smile crept across the girl’s pale face. “I hope you’ll reconsider.”

“Rot in hell,” was Kamui’s mature reply.

“Never been,” Aro said with a shrug. “And never will go, I’m afraid. But you might want to soon, however.”

Suddenly, Kamui felt a kind of pain he had never experienced before. It laced every nerve in his body and, dare he say it, was worse than burning alive. He could not even scream due to the pain but he could faintly hear Subaru screaming his name somewhere in the distance. His eyes were blinded by the pain then it was gone just as suddenly as it started.

He coughed and fell to his hands and knees gasping. When his sight returned, he saw bare rock beneath his hands where previously was soft, damp grass. Subaru was holding him close to his chest and running slender fingers through his hair, whispering to him, telling him it was over, that they had escaped.

He lifted his head and saw Fai’s damaged face in front of him gazing at him with concern. The mageblood’s uninjured arm was resting comfortingly on Kamui’s shoulder and wide, sky blue eyes stared into Kamui’s evenly.

“You’re awake,” Fai breathed, a relieved smile easing onto his face.

“’Wake?” Kamui gasped in confusion.

“Whatever that bitch did, it put you into shock,” Fai said gently. “You’ve been unresponsive for almost half an hour now.”

Kamui nodded mutely, leaning into his brother’s embrace. Subaru buried his lips in Kamui’s hair and pressed a kiss to his twin’s scalp.

“The spell worked,” Subaru murmured. “If we are I hope we are, then this should be what the Terrans call the Rocky Mountains.”

Kamui nodded, still recovering his faculties. “This place is cursed,” he breathed.

“Perhaps for our kind,” Subaru murmured. “I haven’t felt any vampires since we got here.”

Fai nodded. “There is a city not far from here in the valley,” he said. “It’s human but…” He swallowed carefully. “I think it would be wise to find clothes more fitting to this place. Judging from the few hikers I’ve seen in the area, we would,” his lips quirked up in the barest hint of a cheeky grin, “shall we say, stand out.”

Kamui nodded and reluctantly pushed away from Subau’s embrace to stand. “I agree.” He studied Fai’s still wounded arm which the mageblood held clamped to his chest and the destroyed eye carefully. “We’ll also need something to take care of your wounds properly.”

“My arm can wait,” Fai said hesitantly, turning his head away from Kamui’s gaze self-consciously so his missing eye was no longer visible. “But I would like something for…”

Kamui nodded understanding. “We’ll need to stay on our toes. If there are any more of those undead things in this world, than we need to be wary. We can’t readily sense them.”

“We can’t be sure what they can do either,” Subaru added. “Especially now that Aro knows about us.”

Kamui cursed himself silently for not heeding his twin’s mental warnings and allowing himself to be touched by that creature. Shrugging that thought aside for the moment, he focused on the more immediate problem. “We’ll have to walk,” he said slowly. “I’m not risking you shapeshifting until I’m sure it won’t hinder the healing process,” he said to Fai.

Fai grimaced but nodded. “Follow me,” he said, stepping easily along the stone mountainside towards a trail not far ahead.


	4. On the Wing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which depth perception is a problem, the trio finds a pack of shapeshifters who may or may not be friendly, and have a brief brush with an undead redhead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** Sorry for the delay. No excuse really. On the bright side, I finally have a storyline for this. Hopefully, Kurogane and Syaoron will appear a couple chapters from now.

Fai wobbled precariously once more as his wounded eye pulsed in pain. He knew the injury needed to be cleaned and taken care of, but there was nothing he or his coven could do about it until they reached a society of some kind. He could feel the numbing sensation that came with shock working its way through his body. It wasn't a good sign, but at least he could work with it to an extent. As long as the pain wasn't immediate, he wouldn't hold back his coven. But it would also make it more difficult to deal with the injury when he finally got the chance to.

Subaru was the first to notice the sound of running water. A quick run found them at the edge of a rushing river. Fai didn't hesitate. He quickly kicked off his shoes and rolled up his pants so he could wade into the freezing water and splash his wound. It burned as he gently rubbed the cuts, careful of the eyeball itself.

Gentle hands pushed his own away and suddenly Kamui was there cleaning his wound. Fai allowed his sire to rub the cold water over his face, scrubbing any dirt and blood from the wound as best he could. Then he offered his wrist.

"Drink," he ordered.

Fai's brow furrowed in consternation, but he was in no position to refuse a direct order from his sire. Besides, they both knew his sire's blood would speed his healing. So without further hesitation, he took Kamui's wrist in his hands, pressed his lips to the pale underside and sank his fangs in.

He was careful not to take too much blood. He only took enough to kickstart the healing process before pulling away. Kamui said nothing. He just stood and brushed a hand through Fai's blonde hair before walking back to the riverbank. Fai remained in the water to clean the blood from his face before joining Kamui on the shore. It was then he noticed Subaru's absence.

"He's searching for a road," Kamui said in answer to Fai unasked question.

Fai nodded and waited until Kamui narrowed his eyes and bolted upstream following along the river. Fai followed without question, although his speed and agility were limited due to his lack od depth perception. Eventually, they met up with Subaru again. The Beta was standing just behind the tree line near what appeared to be a main highway.

"If we follow this road, we'll reach a city eventually," Subaru said. He glanced at Fai in concern. "It would be best if we shifted. Do you think you can handle it?"

Fai hesitated, taking stock of his body and magic levels before nodding in relief. "I can," he said firmly. "My depth perception is off but otherwise, it shouldn't be too hard to follow you."

Subaru nodded. "Then I'll lead." He glanced at Kamui who remained silent, staring at the road and the humans driving along it in open distrust. "I'll look for a chance to get a change of clothes for us more suited to this world, but..." He shrugged. "Hopefully, we'll find a coven to rest with for the time being. We're in no shape to jump dimensions right now."

Kamui nodded reluctantly, shooting a grim smile at his twin before shifting to a raven and taking flight. Subaru and Fai shifted as well and took to the skies. Subaru took the lead followed closely by Fai with Kamui taking up the rear. If they reached a city before nightfall, then they could find some clothes to wear that were more acceptable in this world. That way they wouldn't stand out as much. Fai also needed something to cover his eye to prevent contamination during the healing process.

It was a little harder to run than he hoped it would be. His injured eye burned from the persistent wind crashing into as he ran at top speed. His depth perception was also shoddy. Twice he tripped because he misjudged the distance and location of a root or curb. Thankfully, Kamui wasn't harsh or lingering. He merely paused long enough to jerk Fai back to his feet before they both caught back up to Subaru. They followed the road staying just out of sight in the trees.

The further they went, the more Fai began to wonder where they were. This didn't feel like the Rocky Mountains he meant to teleport to. What if he missed? He was exhausted from traveling between dimensions, he was injured, his magic was crippled as long as his eye wasn't whole, and his Prey was gone forcing him to rely on Kamui for sustenance until his eye repaired itself or he returned to his Prey. Whichever came first. He would settle for either one, although he preferred both.

He only consolation was knowing that Kurogane had Mokona. Syaoron would never let anything happen to the princess. The last Fai heard, Kurogane was providing a distraction with the Dragons of Heaven holding back the human forces long enough for the princess and Tsukuyomi to escape back to Clow on Terra. It irked Fai that he couldn't be by his princess's side, but when he sensed his sire's despair and debilitating terror, Fai had been compelled to come to Kamui's aid.

Good thing he did too. When Fai had arrived, Subaru had been almost catatonic and Kamui had been hysterically trying to defend his twin from Seishiro Sakurazuka. Fai had been stunned. The last he heard, Subaru and Seishiro were lovers and Subaru even went so far as to sire his lover upon request. Why would Seishiro be attacking?

Then Fai had caught sight of the bloody remnants of Hokuto and understood. A quick teleportation spell had been enough to whisk himself and the pureblooded siblings away, but he couldn't save Hokuto. She had been so thoroughly ripped apart, Fai barely recognized her. They had burned her body as was tradition, but couldn't stay long enough to collect all of her ashes or properly mourn her. The humans had been attracted by the smoke and chased them into the forest leading to their ill-fated attempt to jump dimensions.

They were all tired both physically and emotionally. It was a miracle Subaru had found the strength of will to wake himself up from his catatonia for this. Kamui was unusually quiet still. It broke Fai's aching heart. So when the rain began to fall, it sapped their little group of any strength they had left. Blessedly, there were lights ahead indicating a town or city. Whichever it was, it meant a chance to find shelter. Unfortunately, it also meant there were humans

Even though Fai had been human once, he couldn't help but feel trepidation at approaching a human establishment. He could sense Kamui's agitation filtering through his mind as well, easing only when Subaru placed a gentle, comforting hand on his twin's arm.

"Kamui," Subaru whispered softly.

Kamui shook himself out of his dark thoughts, brushed his fingers over his twin's. "It's not dark yet," he said, glancing at the sky. "It will be soon, but the humans will still be awake." His brow twitched lower over his violet eyes. "I have no desire to see those despicable creatures."

"Kamui," Subaru said, gently scolding.

"He's right," Fai said, surprising himself by speaking up. "Even if we did go down there now, we wouldn't get what we need and we would stand out. I think we can all agree drawing attention to ourselves would hardly be wise."

Subaru nodded reluctantly. "Agreed. Still," he turned his grass green gaze back to the town. It was much smaller than he was hoping for. It was relatively easy for a vampire to slip into a city unnoticed. It was harder to do in smaller, more isolated towns such as this one. _:I believe it would be better there than here with whatever's in these woods with us,:_ he said mentally.

 _:You sensed them too then,:_ Kamui asked, tilting his head in Subaru's direction without moving his eyes from the town.

 _:I can sense them but they are distant yet,:_ Fai thought. _:It was hard not to notice their scent. We can be grateful we've been downwind of them for the time being.:_ He stepped forward to stand even with his sire and Beta. _:Do you think they're shifters?:_

 _:Possibly,:_ Kamui said. _:Or werewolves, although this isn't the environment I would expect to find a werewolf pack.:_

 _:True,:_ Fai admitted. "I agree with Subaru," he said aloud. "I doubt one night's rest would cause too much commotion," he said aloud. "If you would rather we not stay in town, then I suggest finding an abandoned nest or something."

Kamui hesitated. "Very well."

"We don't have money," Subaru said. "At least, I doubt what we have is considered money here."

"I'm sure they won't mind too much," Kamui said, the faintest smile twitching his lips upwards.

Fai sighed. "Kamui," he said when his sire crouched and spread his arms about to shift. The pureblooded vampire stilled and met his childe's concerned gaze in mild interest, waiting for him to continue. _:Don't be rash,:_ Fai said firmly. _:I don't think Subaru could take it if something happened to you too.:_

Kamui's eyes softened minutely as he nodded. There was a flutter of black feathered wings and Fai watched Kamui fly down to the city in his raven form. He waited until Subaru shifted into a raven as well before shifting himself and following the Beta into the town.

The town was indeed small, but not too small. It still had a coffee shop and a corner pharmacy just down the street from each other. Kamui landed on a stop sign nearby and waited until the door to the pharmacy opened and "accidentally" flew inside. The manager quickly grabbed a broom and began chasing Kamui's raven form down the aisles, urging him none-too-gently back towards the door leading outside. Kamui made sure to flutter near the wall of gauze, snatching a small roll of gauze in one of his talons before succumbing to the manager's broom enforced encouragement and flew back outside.

Fai was cackling in his hoarse raven voice and even Subaru was clacking his beak in amusement. _:I won't ever let you forget that, Kamui,:_ Fai jabbed in good-natured humor.

Kamui aimed one beady bird eye at Fai in annoyance and proceeded to fly away from the building ignoring the manager's frustrated cries. Fai and Subaru followed their Alpha to the forest at the edge of town. Kamui landed in a particularly tall hardwood tree, shifting back into his true form as he did so. He settled near the trunk where the branch was thickest and strongest, palming the gauze as he did so.

Subaru remained a raven, choosing to light on his brother's shoulder. Fai landed on a nearby branch, stumbling when he almost overshot the wood and tumbled to the ground below. He squawked indignantly and hopped to Kamui's lap where he hunkered down to wait for Kamui to bind his eye. The gauze was just itchy enough to annoy but it was either deal with the annoyance or possibly deal with an infection later. Eyes were complicated organs directly connected to a thick nerve. It would take a couple days to heal completely which meant he would have to deal with his troublesome depth perception and itchiness for now.

 _:Thanks,:_ he said mentally.

Kamui said nothing, choosing instead to lean back against the tree trunk and pull his cape higher so the collar hid his face from the windy rain.

 _:You should join us, brother,:_ Subaru whispered, brushing a feathered wing against Kamui's cheek. _:This form is lighter and the rain doesn't bother as much.:_

Kamui considered the offer. It would be a good idea. It was either his raven for or mist, and quite frankly he wasn't sure he had the mental capacity to maintain a sense of self in a cloud of condensed air at the moment. His human form was unsteady and too heavy for the tree to handle if the creaking of wood was anything to go by. Not to mention he was getting soaked.

 _:Kamui,:_ Subaru pleaded, playing with a strand of dark, brown-black hair, _:There's an abandoned squirrel nest in the next tree over that's big enough to fit us. Please.:_

Kamui pressed his lips and nodded. Subaru and Fai took flight followed by Kamui. The Beta guided their little group to the nest and landed.

 _:It's been abandoned for a while,:_ Kamui said, hopping into the center. _:This should work.:_ He looked up. _:Those leave should keep most of the rain from hitting us.:_

 _:I'll take first watch,:_ Fai said. He hopped to the edge of the nest only to feel a sharp beak snagg his tail feathers and yank him down to the bowl of the nest. He righted himself with some effort and fluffed his feathers indignantly. _:Was that necessary?:_

 _:Yes,:_ Kamui said, tugging Fai closer and situating himself so Fai was in the middle of their makeshift home. _:I just wrapped that gauze over your eye. As if I'd let you mess it up by getting it all wet.:_

Fai huffed and ruffled his feathers when he heard Subaru chuckle and slide down to join them. Before Fai knew it, he was wedged between Subaru and Kamui, their fluffed feathers forming a protective layer against the cold rainwater. They were all going to sleep then. The Moon Guardian knew they needed it. He could feel Kamui's relief and exhaustion through their mental link and stopped struggling. The warmth generated by their bodies was comfortable after all.

Fai settled in for a long wet night, feeling his sire drift off to sleep next to him. This dimension was strange, but interesting. His magic was tingling; not urgently, just enough to hold his interest. There was something here that felt...different. Not wrong, just different, unfamiliar. A howl in the distance made him ruffle his feathers, fluffing up to keep warm and awake. Thank the Moon Guardian wolves couldn't climb trees. Fai had no desire to be a snack.

* * *

 

 

He woke to a particularly loud howl coming from near the base of their tree. Fai lifted his head from the warmth of the nest and his fellow coven's feathers only to have a wing smack down on his head. It would have annoyed him had he not recognized the wing as belonging to Kamui and felt Kamui's unease. He nudged his sire's feathered side with his beak asking what was happening, but made no sound. Kamui ignored him and remained absolutely still, his head cocked slightly to the side listening.

 _:The shifters are below us,:_ Subaru said softly in Fai's mind.

Ah. That explained the silence. _:Can they hear us?:_ Fai asked just as softly.

Subaru poked his head out from under Kamui's wing. _:I'm not sure,: he_ said hesitantly.

 _:They're hunting,:_ Kamui said after a moment. _:For what I'm not certain, but they're following a scent.:_

Fai hesitated. _:Would you like me to make first contact?:_ he asked.

Kamui considered the offer for a moment before shaking his feathered head. _:Let them hunt,:_ he said. _:We'll follow them back to their lair and speak then.:_

 _:Why not now?:_ Fai asked, shifting to a more comfortable position in the crowded nest.

Subaru tensed, ducking low under Kamui's wing. _:Telepath!:_ he warned urgently. _:Guard your thoughts!:_

Fai couldn't cast his spells from this form because spellcasting required the use of his hands. But he could hide his thoughts behind a wall of thick ice like the glaciers of Celes. He did just that now, focusing on the ice and nothing more. Giant fissures crackled their way across the glacial surface creating ravines that would ensnare an intruding mind and never allow them to escape. The air was so cold, it froze the still air.

A blur of brilliant red flooded Fai's vision, what little there was from his view under Kamui's protective wing. The red belonged to the hair of a woman crouched in a nearby tree. Her skin was pale, almost deathly so, and her eyes were the shade of blood. The same shade of red as the eyes of the undead creature Aro. She also had no heartbeat.

Kamui screamed at her with his raven voice, alerting the shifters below of the undead woman's presence in the tree. Howls and barks joined Kamui's squawks until the undead thing had no choice but to mutter a curse and leap out of her hiding spot and flee further into the woods. The moment the undead was gone followed closely by the baying of the wolf shifters on the ground, Kamui fell silent once more and waited. When the usual sounds of the forest returned, only then did he relax.

 _:We're leaving at dawn,:_ he said. _:I would rather not be caught by a coven of undead.:_

 _:That may not be an option,:_ Subaru said thoughtfully. He sat up from their huddle and gazed out over the forest with his beady eyes. _:I have the feeling this won't end in the most desirable way.:_

 _:I hope you're wrong brother,:_ Kamui murmured.

The rest of the night passed uneventfully.


End file.
